For high school football teams and fans, this is the best time of the year.
The NJSIAA state playoffs begin this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 10-11.
Seven teams in the Worrall Media area in Essex County have qualified for their respective playoffs: Irvington, Nutley, Orange, East Orange, Seton Hall Prep, Glen Ridge and Bloomfield.
The following are their section brackets, with seeds and team records. The dates and times will be announced later.
NORTH JERSEY SECTION 1, GROUP 5
8-Livingston (5-3-1) at 1-Montclair (8-0)
5-Ridgewood (7-2) at 4-Clifton (6-2)
6-North Bergen (7-2) at 3-Union City (6-3)
7-Bloomfield (5-3) at 2-Passaic County Tech (8-1)
NORTH JERSEY SECTION 2, GROUP 5
8-Ridge (4-5) at 1-Westfield (8-0)
5-Elizabeth (4-5) at 4-East Orange Campus (5-3)
6-Watchung Hills (4-5) at 3-Bridgewater-Raritan (7-2)
7-Bayonne (4-5) at 2-Piscataway (6-2)
NORTH JERSEY SECTION 2, GROUP 4
8-Millburn (2-6) at 1-Phillipsburg (8-0)
5-Linden (5-3) at 4-Irvington (7-2)
6-Sayreville (5-4) at 3-Colonia (7-2)
7-Orange (4-5) at 2-North Hunterdon (8-1)
NORTH JERSEY SECTION 2, GROUP 3
8-Ridgefield Park (4-5) at 1-West Essex (8-1)
5-Rahway (5-3) at 4-Summit (6-3)
6-Nutley (5-4) at 3-Voorhees (7-2)
7-Cranford (6-3) at 2-Parsippany Hills (8-1)
NORTH JERSEY SECTION 2, GROUP 1
8-Hoboken (3-6) at 1-Weequahic (7-1)
5-Becton (5-3) at 4-Belvidere (6-3)
6-Roselle Park (5-3) at 3-Glen Ridge (6-3)
7-Newark Collegiate (5-4) at 2-Shabazz (8-0)
NON-PUBLIC GROUP 4
8-St. Augustine Prep (5-4) at 1-Bergen Catholic (7-2)
5-Delbarton (2-7) at 4-Seton Hall Prep (2-7)
6-Paramus Catholic (4-5) at 3-St. Joseph-Metuchen (9-0)
7-Don Bosco Prep (2-7) at 2-St. Peter’s Prep (7-2)
NOTES
Irvington lost to Linden in the 2004 North Section 2, Group 4 playoffs first round at home. They could get Phillipsburg in the semifinals, a team they lost to in the 2008 playoffs held at Untermann FIeld because the field was unplayable at Irvington. Going into this year’s playoffs, Irvington brings a five-game winning streak after beating Wayne Hills to win the Freedom White Division title.
Nutley could get a semifinal rematch with Parsippany Hills, which snapped Nutley’s four-game winning streak on Oct. 28 at Par Hills. Nutley also lost to top-seeded West Essex at home in the season opener on a game-winning kickoff return as time expired.
Glen Ridge and Roselle Park scrimmaged each other in years past.Glen Ridge could meet Shabazz in the semifinals, a team they lost to in last year’s first round and in this year’s division meeting.
Seton Hall Prep beat Delbarton for its first win of the year after an 0-4 start. They could get Bergen Catholic in another matchup between head coaching Campanile brothers – Vito of SHP and Nunzio of BC. The two teams met on Nov. 4 with BC winning, 28-7. BC also beat SHP in the 2015 first round of the playoffs in Vito Campanile’s first year at SHP.
East Orange Campus, led by first-year head coach Rae Oliver, hosts Elizabeth in a rematch of last year’s first round game won by Elizabeth.
Orange is in Group 4 for the first time after being in either Group 2 or Group 3 for many years.
Bloomfield lost to Passaic County Tech in the 2009 Section 1, Group 4 playoffs first round. Bloomfield has won its last three games going into the playoffs.
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